Master of Science in Environmental Education

Environmental education is for individuals with experience and/or active interest in formal programs (i.e., schools) and nonformal programs (e.g., nature/environmental centers, agencies, parks, gardens, zoos and museums). The program is designed to provide graduate education in science and environmental content, as well as to expand and improve environmental education teaching skills. To this end, the program includes graduate coursework in environmental content, in environmental education and in educational research.

The master's degree program includes coursework in an environmental content concentration. Each concentration is designed around a unifying theme for the purpose of expanding environmental knowledge and skills pertinent to that theme (e.g., a disciplinary theme such as ecology; a natural resource theme such as estuaries; or a problemoriented theme such as water quality). Concentrations reflect the academic and research strengths of programs within the university. Programs that offer coursework for inclusion in environmental content concentrations include ecology and marine biology; environmental science and environmental resources management; biological, chemical and geological oceanography; coastal zone management and marine environmental science. Further, to provide breadth to the development of knowledge and skills, concentrations are designed to include coursework in each of the following areas: ecology or another foundational science; environmental problems; environmental fieldwork or monitoring; and environmental policy, planning or management.

The master's degree program also includes coursework in environmental education foundations and methods. The foundations course is designed to develop and expand knowledge of the field and of educational practices in the field from diverse perspectives. The methods courses are designed to develop and improve teaching skills. To accommodate students' differing backgrounds and interests, course projects and assignments allow students to develop and apply these skills in relevant contexts or settings.

Admission Requirements

The master's program is designed for individuals holding bachelor's degrees in areas of science, environmental studies, environmental interpretation or K–12 education. All entering students are expected to have a background in the sciences and in education that will permit them to successfully complete graduate coursework. Individuals for whom this may be a concern are encouraged to discuss this directly with the program chair.

General admission requirements and the process for applying are presented in the Academic Overview section of the university catalog, which also contains information on financial assistance.

Degree Requirements

The master of science degree is conferred on students who have successfully completed 33 credit hours, as specified in the following section. The program concludes with an oral final program examination or an oral final program examination and a written final program examination.

It is the responsibility of the student to follow all master's degree policies governed by the graduate programs office. This includes arranging for the final program examination committee and scheduling the examination within the required time frame.

Curriculum

The following courses are required:

EDS 5070

Educational Statistics*

3

EDS 5081

Research 1

3

EDS 5095

Essentials of Educational Research*

3

EDS 5410

Foundations of Environmental Education

3

EDS 5420

Methods in Ecology and Environmental Content

3

EDS 5430

Methods for Environmental Problems and Issue Investigation

3

EDS 5440

Methods for Citizenship and Environmental Responsibility

3

*These two courses must be taken at Florida Tech. Exceptions may be considered only through a written petition to be reviewed by the department's graduate faculty.

In addition to these seven courses, a minimum of 12 credit hours (i.e., usually four content courses) must be taken in a chosen environmental content concentration. With departmental approval, up to six credit hours of 3000- and 4000-level coursework may be included in the content concentration.

Any schedule that would meet these requirements within a sevenyear period is acceptable. Any combination of part-time and/or fulltime semesters can be used, as well as any combination of daytime, evening, and weekend and summer courses. The following is one example of a common schedule.

FALL

CREDITS

EDS 5410

Foundations of Environmental Education

3

Environmental Content Concentration Course

3

6

SPRING

CREDITS

EDS 5420

Methods in Ecology and Environmental Science Content

3

Environmental Content Concentration Courses

6

9

FALL

CREDITS

EDS 5095

Essentials of Educational Research

3

EDS 5430

Issue Investigation and Evaluation

3

Environmental Content Concentration Course

3

9

SPRING

CREDITS

EDS 5070

Educational Statistics

3

EDS 5081

Research 1

3

EDS 5440

Citizenship and Environmental Responsibility

3

9

TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED 33

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